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Russell Crowe will take the place of late actor Heath Ledger in upcoming Australian film Dirt Music.

The tragic star, who passed away in 2008, had originally signed up to star in the film adaptation of Tim Winton's novel alongside Rachel Weisz, but he later quit the production in order to tackle the role of The Joker in Batman movie The Dark Knight.

The project ground to a halt as producers searched for a replacement for Ledger, and now director Phillip Noyce has finally confirmed the film will be moving forward with Crowe in the lead role.

Noyce tells the Sydney Daily Telegraph, "We were all set to go with Heath and Rachel Weisz. We had the money at that point. And then Heath decided to play the Joker which you couldn't argue with. And then it just took a while to find someone else to play (the lead role of) Luther."

The movie will mark Crowe's first appearance in an Australian film in more than a decade, and comes just weeks after actor vowed not to leave his adopted homeland for the next year so he can spend more time with his family.